Tifa's Burden
by Daine Salamin
Summary: What if Cloud wasn't the only one fighting with geostigma, and what if he was too late to help.


**Author's Note: I know i changed the ending but i couldn't help myself, i thought it would be dramatic if Cloud wasn't the only one with the geostigma. Anyway all characters belong to Square Enix, hope you enjoy and please review!**

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><p>It actually started a month or two after Sephiroth had been killed. The geostigma which had slowly started to creep through the worlds people appeared on her hip. She knew there was no cure but instead of worrying she decided to go on with her life and opened up Seventh Heaven bar. She rarely saw Cloud and only it was only when he came to pick up a delivery or when he brought Denzel who too began to show signs of geostigma. By the time she and Marlene had found the black stained bandages in the church, her own geostigma had spread across her back and started to creep towards her heart. Instead of worrying about her own condition, she worried about Cloud's. She began feeling the geostigmas' pain in her heart shortly after fighting Laz and it only increased when she moved. She prayed to Aerith to give her the strength to help Cloud one last time, she knew she was going to die after.<p>

The last battle was upon them and she fought furiously, aiding in his last push to defeat the creature that was destroying Midgar. As she landed she felt the pain again, much sharper than before, but not enough that she couldn't watch as Cloud began to defeat the monster and go after Kadaj. They loaded quickly into Cid's ship and found Cloud fighting Kadaj, who fell and turned into Sephiroth.

Tifa knew Cloud could pull through and convinced the others that he could fight alone. When the battle was over she looked up and saw a drop of water hanging from the roof. Quietly she thanked Aerith and turned back to look at Cloud, smiling at him. Suddenly a gunshot sounded and Cloud fell to his knees just as Tifa fell to hers from the pain in her chest. She heard an explosion and managed to reach the window before the geostigma in her body began to consume her heart and she blacked out.

Cloud floated in an endless sea of white and felt a hand touch his forehead. "Mother?" he asked.

"Again? Why is everyone calling me their mother lately?" came Aerith's sweet voice.

"I guess they must be fond of you." Zacks' baritone voice joked and Cloud felt his heart clench after hearing the two friends he lost.

"Well this one's too big to adopt, and he had another mission to finish."

"Tough luck friend, but Tifa needs you, and you don't have a place here yet."

Suddenly they were gone and he began to feel like he was surrounded by water. Opening his eyes he found himself surrounded by children in the pool of Aerith's church. He looked at each of them wonderingly before the girl in front of him spoke. "It's like she said, wait here and Cloud will come."

He looked at her before he heard Marlene say "Welcome back!" he looked at his friends, Yuffie with her hips cocked waiting on him to wake up, Cid with a cigarette in his mouth, Denzel standing beside Marlene who held Barrett's hand, and Vincent standing in the background. "I'm back." He replied wondering where Tifa had gone but saw Red 13 was about to speak.

"There are still people with the stigma."

"Yeah," he agreed walking to Denzel and pulling him into the water as Yuffie said, "Let's get you fixed up."

After sprinkling the water on Denzel's head and seeing the geostigma disappear, the other children jumped in. He turned to his happy yet silent friends. "Where's Tifa?" he asked.

Each one looked at each other before Reno came from behind them carrying Tifa in his arms. Everything around him went silent as Reno approached the pool and laid her at the edge. Cloud quickly stepped up next to her and cradled her in his arms. "Tifa! Tifa!" he cried urgently. She didn't respond. Suddenly he noticed a black like bruise coming from under her vest. With a sense of dread he reached up and began pulling her zipper down exposing the black soaked bandages wrapped around her body from her torso to her wais and hips. Their friends sucked in harsh breaths as they realized what Tifa had been hiding all this time and Reno cursed. Cloud looked up at all of them, despair on his face. "Get everyone out of the church and quickly cure those who haven't been cured."

Soon Tifa and Cloud were the only ones in the church. He quickly began to disrobe her, leaving the bandages on. He found it was much worse than he thought. Everywhere she had clothed was full of geostigma. He fought back the knot in his throat as he lowered her into the pool with him.

"Come on Teef." He whispered into her hair as the water began to cure her body, making it glow a bright green. But when her body was cured she did not wake. He held her feeling the tears gather in his eyes. "Come on Tifa, don't do this. I can't lose you too, I never got the chance to tell you anything, never go to explain my actions, never said I …" he choked, moving her head so he could look into her face, "I love you Tifa Lockhart, and now you'll never know." He cried pulling her tightly into his arms. He stood that way for a long time not wanting to let her go, when suddenly he felt her move. Pulling back he looked into fluttering wine colored eyes as they lifted from a deep sleep. She yawned and looked up at Cloud puzzled. She looked around and down at the water and her undressed state. "Cloud?" she whispered.

He smiled, one full of laughter and joy and utter relief. Laughing with joy he spun her around, her wet hair lifting from the water to create ribbons of water around them. She smiled still confused with what was going on as he cried out, "She's alive!" The doors to the church burst open and everyone piled in. Marlene and Denzel running and jumping into the water first to hug Tifa. Reno too jumped in but stayed back when Cloud gave him a glare. All the others came in and surrounded them grinning and talking and laughing that Tifa was okay.

As they all were distracted Cloud seemed to notice someone at the back of the church slowly walking towards the doors. She turned back, "You see, everything's alright." Aerith smiled meeting Zack at the door and waving just as Tifa squeezed his arm. He glanced down and saw she was staring at them too as they walked into the blinding light.

"I know." He murmured looking at Tifa. She heard him and looked up, "I'm not alone." She smiled. "Not anymore." Then Cloud smiled again and swooped down to kiss her. Neither he nor Tifa would ever be alone again. Not when they had each other and this rowdy bunch around them.


End file.
